


Oblivious

by Steph_Puppet



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Magic Revealed, Merlin's Magic Revealed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-03
Updated: 2016-06-28
Packaged: 2018-03-21 01:26:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 20,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3672354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Steph_Puppet/pseuds/Steph_Puppet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It only takes one decision to change a man's fate. What if Gaius had not told Merlin that the dragonlord was his father? Alternate universe of Season 2 Episode 13 'The Last Dragonlord'. Complete. Includes two bonus chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Solution

**Author's Note:**

> Reposting from my ff.net account.

**Disclaimer:**

**I do not own the rights to the BBC series 'Merlin', this is a non-profit work with the sole purpose to entertain.**

* * *

For the past two nights the Great Dragon had laid waste to Camelot, he had burned and killed indiscriminately, all in the name of revenge against Uther Pendragon. Before long Camelot would fall, just as the dragon wished, the city could not last much more destruction. Already women and children were fleeing to neighbouring kingdoms in the hope of escaping the onslaught, and many of the men wished to join them knowing that this was not their fight, it was Uther’s. And why should they pay with their lives for Uther’s mistakes?

However for the men who stayed behind, injury and even death awaited them. Gaius had the misfortune of witnessing this at a catastrophic level. The lower levels of the castle were already full with both soldiers and innocent civilians; any more attacks and Gaius did not think he and his assistants would be able to cope with the sheer numbers. The worst of it all in Gaius’s opinion was that, as unlikely as it seemed, there _was_ a solution. The dragon could be stopped. Both Gaius and Uther knew it, they both even knew how, the only difference between the two was that while Uther now believed this solution to be an impossibility, Gaius knew otherwise.

The physician had spent a lot of time thinking about it and the only way to stop the dragon was to find a dragonlord, a man capable of ordering the beast away or even killing it himself and it was with some reluctance that he reminded Uther of their existence that day in the war council room.

“Impossible.” Uther replied, “All the dragonlords were killed.”

Indeed it may have seemed that way; out of the thirteen dragonlords that existed Gaius had witnessed the death of twelve as well as the deaths of all their sons who would inherit the power. He had only been able to save one, his close friend and the thirteenth dragonlord, Balinor. And it seemed that Gaius would now have to call in this old debt in order for Camelot to be saved.

So Gaius told the King and all those present of the rumours of Balinor’s survival and presence on the outskirts of Cenred’s kingdom, he did not dare to look at Merlin as he spoke for fear that a spark of recognition at the name would come to Merlin’s eyes and Gaius would later have to admit to having known the whereabouts of his absentee father.

As Arthur suggested a plan to go search for the dragonlord, Gaius summoned the courage to look at his ward, _thank the lord_ , the only emotion displayed across Merlin’s face was determination to rid Camelot of the Great Dragon and he seemed to be listening intently to Arthur’s plan. Perhaps he too could sense the desperation of the situation. Merlin briefly glanced questioningly at Gaius, he knew the look well, it meant Merlin had questions. Presumably he was curious about dragonlords, having never heard of them before. However this would not be a normal explain-the-creature-or-person session, this time Gaius would have the burden of telling Merlin about the father he had never known.

Or would he?

* * *

Gaius had been right. The next morning, whilst Merlin was preparing a bag to take with him for when he and Arthur searched for Balinor, the first of the questions came. Patiently he explained all he could to Merlin about the dragonlords and their abilities but he found it hard to keep the anxiety out of his voice. He still had not decided whether or not to tell Merlin about his father.

“So you and Arthur are going to search for this man alone?” Gaius asked his ward, trying to distract himself from his current dilemma. “Isn’t that a bit dangerous considering the number of bandits in that area?”

“Yes it is dangerous, but if we take a big group we would attract more attention and the dragonlord could leave before we even found him.” Merlin replied. He rummaged around in his bag and suddenly an annoyed expression spread across his face. “Forgot something, I’ll be right back.” The boy left the room muttering under his breath.

Gaius collapsed in a nearby chair and covered his face with his hands. What should he do? He’d hardly slept the previous night as he couldn’t stop worrying. Merlin had seen the dark shadows under his eyes but had not commented, assuming that it was caused by the stress of having so many patients to deal with. It probably did have but the greatest contributor was the time Gaius had spent evaluating the pros and cons of telling Merlin the truth.

On the one hand, Merlin had a right to know about his father especially as he was going to search for the man. Wouldn’t he feel betrayed if Gaius withheld the information knowing full well who Merlin was going to meet? Not only that, but if Merlin knew and told Balinor about their relationship it could help convince the stubborn dragonlord to help Camelot.

But on the other hand, Gaius was fully aware of Balinor’s nature. If he was taken off his guard there was no telling what his reaction could be. When his friends had been rounded up and slaughtered, the man had completely shut down, refusing to say or do anything. If this happened again, they might not reach Camelot before it was completely burned down to the ground. And what if Balinor did not believe Merlin? The soldiers who had gone to Ealdor had suspected Hunith of having a relationship with him; an enemy could connect the dots and make up a story about a long lost son to gain Balinor’s trust!

There were too many variables to consider and too much was at stake. Either way, Gaius would have to betray someone, whether it was his close friend or the boy that was like a son to him.

“Gaius?” Merlin had returned, “Are you alright?” Gaius sat up and attempted a smile.

“I’m fine Merlin.” Not entirely satisfied, Merlin packed away the item he had forgotten, Gaius hesitated and spoke again. “Merlin, have you ever heard the name Balinor?”

“No.” Merlin answered after a slight pause to think, “Why? Should I have?”

“No, I was just thinking.” Gaius said softly and returned to his pensive state.

“Did you know him?” Gaius’ head shot up suddenly in surprise. _Had Merlin realised?_ Seeing Gaius’ expression, Merlin hurried to continue. “It’s just; you spoke of the dragonlords so fondly…” The physicians’ tense shoulders relaxed. He was getting paranoid in his old age; there was no way Merlin could know.

“Yes. He was my friend.” He hesitated, “I helped him to escape.” Merlin’s eyes widened with shock and admiration. But another realisation seemed to dawn on him.

“Oh crap! Gaius, I’m going to be late!” Merlin grabbed his bag and darted to the door, “But don’t think you’re getting off the hook, I want to know everything when we get back!” This was it. This was Gaius’ last chance to reveal the truth.

“Merlin, about Balinor, he-” His ward’s face was turned to him expectantly, “he… if he decides not to help, give him my regards.” A bright smile lit up Merlin’s face.

“Will do.”

* * *

As Merlin saddled his horse his thoughts teemed with excitement. _They were going to meet a dragonlord!_ Someone who could boss around the Great Dragon rather than vice versa. He had scanned through his book of magic and had found almost no mention of dragonlords, only a sentence in the chapter on dragons: “dragonlords are believed to be directly linked to dragons”. Not the most informative or intelligent statement seen as it pointed out the obvious. A complete lack of information on the subject made the warlock almost sick with curiosity as he had so many questions to ask. He had wanted, in the past, to question other magical races like the Sidhe or the troll but that proved impossible since they were all trying to kill him.

“Merlin!” He was startled by the sudden presence of a peeved looking Prince Arthur holding onto the reins of a saddled and prepared horse, _oh damn_ , Merlin was supposed to have sorted out the prince’s horse beforehand!

“I was _just_ going to do that!” Merlin lied brightly, with little hope that Arthur would actually believe him. He didn’t.

“When? After Camelot has been reduced to ruin?” Arthur sighed, “Honestly Merlin, can’t you get anything right?”

It was going to be a _long_ journey to Enged.


	2. Getting Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: The Great Dragon has been laying waste to Camelot, Merlin and Arthur have set off to find the last dragonlord without Merlin having any knowledge that Balinor is his father.

The one good thing about travelling with Merlin, Arthur surmised, was that there was a constant supply of entertainment. They had just about reached Enged and so far Merlin had fallen off his horse three times, been hit in the face by a low hanging branch (his fault really, he shouldn’t have been mocking the prince instead of paying attention to where he was going) _and_ had pestered Arthur to the point of seriously considering putting him in the stocks… but then he remembered that the stocks had been destroyed during the dragon’s first attack so that short-lived fantasy was ruthlessly put down.

For the entire journey, all Merlin had wanted to talk about was the dragonlord: “ _Arthur_ , what do you think the dragonlord’s like?”, “ _Arthur_ , do you think the dragonlord will help Camelot?”, “ _Arthur_ , what will your father do to the dragonlord if he helps us?” It had reached the point where Arthur had eventually snapped and told Merlin to shut up about the bloody dragonlord. Sheepishly his servant had lowered his head and muttered something about it being nice to talk to a magical person not trying to kill them.

“How do you know he won’t try to kill us?” Arthur had demanded, Merlin shrugged in response.

“Whenever these people try to kill you or the King they usually come down to Camelot to gloat and reveal their evil plan.” Arthur knew that Merlin had a point, but being a prince he was never going to admit that in front of Merlin (especially seen as he would never live it down) so he made a non-committal sound and turned the attention back to one of Merlin’s recent failures.

Although for the most part the trip had been fairly light-hearted, Merlin couldn’t help but be worried about Arthur’s wound, he’d seen the prince wince at times when the horses had ridden over a particularly rough piece of land and suspected that it needed redressing, but they could not do that until they stopped somewhere to rest for the night.

Night had fallen by the time the two rode into Enged, but luckily one of the first buildings they noticed was an inn. At a nearby stable they paid a few coins to leave their horses for the night. So far no one had recognised Arthur as the prince of Camelot which was crucial as Cenred could send men to kill him if he knew of his presence in his lands. But they had only encountered a few people so far, the inn on the other hand was very busy and there was a chance someone there had visited Camelot in the past and might have seen Arthur. However, despite the risk, they needed to stay somewhere this night, it was pouring it down and this was the only inn in the town.

Arthur and Merlin looked at each other to reassure themselves that the other was just as anxious as themselves. They took a deep breath and opened the door.

* * *

The loud and busy inn suddenly went eerily quiet as everyone turned to look at the drenched newcomers. They stared. Merlin and Arthur stared back. It was awkward to say the least, but a least no one had jumped up and screamed “It’s Prince Arthur! GET HIM!!”. However as _comforting_ as this thought was, Arthur decided to elevate the atmosphere by saying something suitably sophisticated and suave.

“Greeting!” If the situation and repercussions hadn’t been so serious, Merlin would have laughed at the uncharacteristic goofiness of Arthur’s tone. But the large group of big and scary men quickly quelled down any possible amusement. No doubt Arthur would later claim that he was trying to fool the people by pretending to be as stupid as Merlin; however Merlin could still see that he was rubbing off on the prince.

Thankfully, normal activity soon resumed at the inn but there was still a sense of uneasiness in the air. Merlin suspected that it was because in a town this small everyone knew each other; visitors were a rare and unwelcome occurrence. Especially visitors such as Arthur and Merlin who both seemed untouched by the harshness of life. Both young, without disfiguring scars or eyes prematurely aged by suffering. The people at the inn had lived much less comfortably; they starved in the winter and dropped like flies in the summer. Merlin had known a similar way of life in Ealdor. What his mother earned doing odd jobs was not always enough to support the both of them and keep them fed, it was the reason why Merlin was so thin and the reason why he had left for Camelot the day he turned seventeen.

Things were different in Camelot, jobs were in abundance, food was cheap and the pay was riches compared to what Hunith had made from much harder work than what Merlin did. He sent as much of his money to his mother as he could afford, it was the least she deserved. She could have married anyone, become anything but she had become pregnant with Merlin and everything had changed. No man would marry a ruined woman with another man’s son, and one woman could not take care of two people.

Merlin had often wondered how life would have been different if his father had stayed and married his mother. Would he still have been kept awake late at night by gnawing hunger pains or would he have slept soundly? Either way there was no point giving much thought to the matter, the past was the past and for all Merlin knew his father could be dead or married with other children. Perhaps not knowing was better than the truth. Perhaps it was better to be oblivious.

SLAM! Merlin’s musings were interrupted by the sound of two pints of mead being slammed down with greater for than was strictly necessary on the table, the contents sloshing out. Arthur tried not to let the disgust show on his face. “We’re looking for a man named Balinor.” Arthur said bluntly to the innkeeper who had just served them, and with the same amount of force as the other man had used he dropped a small bag of gold on the table letting the ringing sound of the coins hitting against each other permeate through the air of the inn. “We’re willing to pay… handsomely.” The sound level in the inn had dropped again as soon as the name Balinor had been uttered. Arthur hadn’t noticed but Merlin had, it meant that the people here knew who they were searching for, but whether they would give him up was an entirely different matter.

The innkeeper looked intently at the gold, and then at Arthur, a surge of hope flooded Merlin. Perhaps greed could help them rather than hinder them for once. The innkeeper leaned in as if to whisper something conspiratorially to Arthur, everything else was deadly quiet. Then, the innkeeper spoke.

“I’ve never heard the name.” It was a barefaced lie, anyone could see it. He took what was owed to him for the drinks and walked off. Merlin could feel fifty pairs of eyes drilling him in the back.

Finding Balinor, it seemed, was going to be much more difficult than they had originally planned.

* * *

Even though they’d somehow managed to alienate everyone in the inn, Arthur and Merlin decided (Arthur decided, Merlin had no choice) that a warm bed was better than nothing, especially considering the dreadful weather.

Once the surly innkeeper had led them to their room (a thoroughly miserable looking place, Arthur had thought to himself and he almost shuddered to think what kind of bugs were in the bed) they settled down for the night.

“Do you want me to change your bandages?” Merlin offered when he saw that the bandages were soaked in blood.

“No. It’s only a scratch.” The prince stubbornly declined. Merlin doubted it, no ‘scratch’ could produce that amount of blood, but he knew better than to try to insist. He only hoped that they could find Balinor and get back to Camelot before it got infected.

Arthur gingerly approached his bed as if he expected it to get up and crawl away. Merlin, without any hesitation, jumped on his own and laid back to sleep. He opened an eye to watch Arthur stare at his bed in disgust and snorted loudly. “Don’t be such a princess! A few bugs never hurt anyone.” He quickly wracked his brain for any evil plot that had involved bugs, abruptly remembered one and muttered “Never mind.” However thinking of evil plots to take over Camelot reminded Merlin of the dire situation back home and he abruptly sobered up.

“How do you think everyone’s doing in Camelot?” He asked Arthur, who had by this point climbed into the dreaded bed.

“No idea, let’s just try to hope for the best and find this dragonlord.” They couldn’t give up hope yet, especially not Merlin who was usually the optimistic one. “Try to get some sleep, first thing tomorrow we will double our efforts.” Merlin nodded in agreement and waited for sleep to come.

Merlin was the first to drop off whereas a few feet away Arthur lay awake looking at the ceiling. He listened to the slow rhythmic sound of Merlin’s breathing and hoped for sleep to take him as well. The wound in his shoulder was giving him more trouble that he had let on and although he wanted to take up Merlin’s offer of redressing it, he was too worried to see the extent of the damage.

He wondered how Gwen was doing back in Camelot, he had tried to order her to leave with some of the other women but she had refused, insisting that Gaius need her help with the wounded. It was something both Arthur and Gwen had in common: the stubbornness of a mule.

Arthur’s affectionate thoughts of Gwen were interrupted by the soft creaking sound of the door handle being pushed down. Reflexes kicking in, Arthur grabbed his sword from the side of the bed and having hidden it under the sheets, he feigned sleep. He wanted to see the mysterious intruder’s intentions and find out if he was friend or foe.

Hearing the door swing open, Arthur tightened his grip on his sword. Footsteps crept towards him almost soundlessly and he was glad that it was towards him and not Merlin. It would be easier to surprise the intruder this way. When the man/woman sounded close enough, Arthur opened his eyes and lunged.

It was just a thief, Arthur noted with some relief, not an assassin sent by Cenred. But either way this was a chance to get the information they needed. The result of shoving the would-be thief against Merlin’s bed had woken up the poor servant.

“What’s going on?” was the startled and almost incoherent response; Arthur ignored him as he focussed on keeping his sword against the man’s chest.

“Do you know what the punishment is for theft?” The thief nodded stiffly keeping his eyes on the weapon uncomfortably close to his heart. “Tell me where to find Balinor.” The man’s eyes almost bugged out of his head in shock, clearly that hadn’t been what he was expecting, he hadn’t witnessed the scene that took place earlier on.

“I-I uh… I don’t know!!” The thief stuttered out. Arthur pressed the sword in cutting the thief’s skin but not dangerously so.

“Do you _value_ your life?” Sensing he was close to losing his very valued life, the man immediately started giving them directions, meanwhile Merlin got out of his bed and took the map to check the route the man gave them.

“And that’s where you’ll find the cave where Balinor dwells.”

Satisfied with the information, Arthur released the man and stepped back, feeling quite smug that he had managed to intimidate the man into giving them what they needed.

“He will not welcome you!” The thief spoke spitefully suddenly surprising Merlin and Arthur, “Balinor hates everyone and everything. The cave’s the best place for him!” And with that he fled the room leaving behind the stunned duo.


	3. Finding the Dragonlord

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: “He will not welcome you!” The thief spoke spitefully suddenly surprising Merlin and Arthur, “Balinor hates everyone and everything. The cave’s the best place for him!” And with that he fled the room leaving behind the stunned duo.

That morning Arthur had the job of waking up Merlin, despite it being Merlin’s job to do the same to him. But Arthur did not complain as he usually would have and Merlin failed to make his usual snippy remark. Both could not help but dwell on the events of the previous night. _“Balinor hates everyone and everything.”_ A blanket of doubt had been cast over the entire mission and the hope they had both had at the start was diminishing rapidly.

What if Balinor refused to help them? He was their last chance, and without him Camelot was sure to fall. But it was too late to go back now. They just had to pray for the best.

* * *

Having retrieved their horses they set off on the route the thief had given them, they spoke occasionally to confirm whether they were going the right way. Technically, Arthur was in charge of the map and which way they went, however he wasn’t terribly good at reading maps. As a prince he usually had others to tell him which way to go but he couldn’t directly ask Merlin because that would mean admitting he wasn’t good at something so instead he “tested” Merlin by “purposefully” going the wrong way until Merlin pointed it out.

Despite _Merlin’s_ excellent map reading abilities, they still managed to get lost, but were comforted by the fact that they were sure the cave was nearby, they just weren’t sure in which direction. And now they had another problem to deal with…

Arthur’s shoulder was getting worse, he had been unintentionally wincing every few minutes and was beginning to sway as he walked, it was likely he was getting dizzy from blood loss, but of course the stubborn prat was too proud to admit to it.

After a particularly painful looking stumble, Merlin decided to take action.

“Let me look at your wound.” For once Arthur surrendered without argument and Merlin peeled back some of the bandages: it didn’t look good. It needed cleaning, possibly new stitches. And it needed them as soon as possible.

CRUNCH! Footsteps nearby snapped a branch underfoot, both Merlin and Arthur’s heads whipped up at the sound. Immediately they ducked under a nearby fallen tree. Merlin poked his head over the top see what was going on. A group of heavily armed men, Cenred’s he would have guessed, walked past. He ducked again to avoid them noticing him. The footsteps continued and passed by their hiding place without stopping. Merlin relaxed slightly, knowing that they hadn’t been spotted. He waited until he was sure they were out of sight and hearing before nudging Arthur.

“They’ve gone.” No response. With greater concern, Merlin shook the prince’s shoulder. “Arthur?” Still no response. He had passed out.

This wasn’t good. Cenred’s men were probably looking for them, they had dragonlord to find and now, Arthur was unconscious. Typical, it was always _Merlin’s_ job to save Camelot.

He attempted to wake up Arthur a few times, even resorting to slapping him and splashing him with water, but the seriousness of the situation prevented him from enjoying any of it. Having failed at that, Merlin tried to figure out a way to get Arthur on the horse. Lifting him didn’t work, he was far too heavy (must be from all those royal banquets, at least Merlin would be able to mock him about his weight after this). But he tried several times anyway until his breathing had become laboured with the effort. It was then that Merlin remembered two very important things: 1. He was a warlock and 2. Arthur was unconscious. So without further ado Merlin levitated Arthur on to the horse.

Unfortunately even with the ability to use his magic to his heart’s content, Merlin couldn’t heal Arthur. Healing magic was notoriously difficult and so far Merlin had only learned how to heal bruises and shallow cuts. He also couldn’t treat Arthur’s wound manually since he had nothing at hand with which to do it with. They needed help. But they were in unfriendly territory with soldiers walking around the forest, so there was only one solution.

Merlin cast out his senses until he felt the presence of the soldiers in the south, he dismissed heading in that direction due to the increased risk of being caught, so he searched the north. Up ahead he felt one person with just the faintness trace of magic. Even with the distance separating them Merlin was just able to identify the magic. It was the dragonlord.

* * *

The first thing that Merlin noticed about the dragonlord was how dark he seemed. From his _excellent_ hiding spot (behind a tree) Merlin was still debating on how to approach the man. Thankfully the darkness he had noted was nothing to with any kind of evil aura but more of a sense of colour. His clothes were dark, his hair was fairly long and dark, so from the back he was just one big dark thing. But nevertheless he was a tall _intimidating_ dark thing, which was the reason for Merlin’s apprehension.

As the dragonlord began to turn as if to go somewhere else, Merlin hid himself from view behind the tree _._ He was very good at spying on people Merlin mused to himself, after all how else would he keep finding out about all the evil plots to take over Camelot?

There was a sudden sharp ring of steel and before Merlin could react a long blade was pressed to his neck. Perhaps not as good at spying as he had originally thought.

“What do you want?” The man growled menacingly, his voice rough from lack of use. Quickly recovering from the surprise Merlin rattled out a response.

“My-my friend he’s hurt! We needs help!” The man hesitated before finally replying.

“Where is he?” Merlin gestured vaguely towards where he had left Arthur and the horses; he had been worried of alerting the dragonlord of his presence if he had brought them along.

The man surveyed him, looking for traces of deceit in his expression. Merlin’s heart thudded in his chest as he feared for what would happen if the dragonlord did not believe him. With the sword at this proximity to his bared neck and the trunk of the great oak behind him he would be unable to stop the completion of the sword’s arc with magic.

Then as quickly as the blade had come, it left, but it was not put away in the worn scabbard that hung from his belt, instead the dragonlord held it by his side ready to use it if proven necessary.

“Show me.”

* * *

Meanwhile back in Camelot, Gwen who was oblivious as to what was happening with Merlin and Arthur, was tending to the wounded from the latest of the dragon attacks. She was in charge of the infirmary at the moment since she had ordered Gaius to get a much needed rest. It was quiet for the most part, all the patients were stable and the slow trickle of newly found wounded had stopped.

She carefully finished stitching and bandaging a deep cut on a young boy who had been hit by fallen debris, before moving on to a man with a broken arm. Gwen was vaguely aware of a disturbance over by the entrance. Probably a new patient, she assumed, but glanced over to see anyway. Shocked by what she saw, her eyes widened and she gasped audibly.

Standing by the door was Hunith, Merlin’s mother.


	4. Meanwhile in Camelot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Gwen was vaguely aware of a disturbance over by the entrance. Probably a new patient, she assumed, but glanced over to see anyway. Shocked by what she saw, her eyes widened and she gasped audibly. Standing by the door was Hunith, Merlin’s mother.

Once they had made eye contact, Hunith hurried over to Gwen. The first thing the servant noticed was how tired the elder woman looked. There were dark bags under her eyes and her demeanour seemed to project an aura of exhaustion, but her eyes were bright and alert with anxiety.

“Where’s Merlin?” No ‘Hello.’, or ‘How are you?’ her obvious concern over her son obscured the need for social niceties. “Is he okay?” Her thin frame was shaking with fear.

“You shouldn’t be here.” Gwen admonished gently, leading her over to some spare seats, “There’s a dragon attacki-”

“Yes, I know.” Hunith interrupted nervously, her eyes darting around as if expecting Merlin to pop out of nowhere (mind you, it was _Merlin_ ). “I was on my way to visit him when I heard about the attack, has he been hurt?!”

“No he’s fine as far as I’m aware.” Gwen replied soothingly, Hunith’s shoulders suddenly sagged and her shaking calmed down.

“Thank the Lord.” She murmured softly, and then spoke up. “Where is he? Can I see him?”

“Well he’s not here at the moment.” Gwen answered apologetically but quickly continued. “He’s accompanying Arthur to try to find someone who can help with the dragon situation.”

Hunith paled visibly. She did not speak for some time but when she did, her voice was so quiet that Gwen had to strain to hear.”

“What kind of help?”

“Someone who can command the dragon to leave or something.” Gwen stopped as she suddenly realised something. “Actually, I shouldn’t be telling you this, it’s a secret mission.” Not even bothering to ask Gwen how she knew since it was a _secret_ mission, Hunith whispered urgently.

“Gwen, please, can you remember what they were called? It’s important.” Seeing the dismayed expression of on Hunith’s face, Gwen relented.

“I don’t remember the name. But I think he was a dragonlord.” Gwen had hoped this news would please Merlin’s mother but it had the opposite effect. The woman staggered up and spluttering apologies ran from the room as if some ancient devil was chasing her.

* * *

Merlin and Balinor had rushed to Arthur’s side and with the dragonlord leading the way, they went to a nearby cave. It was clearly the man’s home, with small sections dedicated to what you would find in any permanent residence: a bed, a makeshift kitchen etc. It wasn’t the most comfortable looking place but as a fugitive it was probably the best Balinor could do, and Merlin felt a pang of compassion for him. It showed that even if you escaped King Uther’s persecution, it was only a temporary reprieve; if you were unlucky you could spend the rest of your life fearing who would come around the corner.

They set up Arthur on the bed and Balinor went to work on the wound, there was a moment when Merlin thought they had been figured out when the bandages were peeled back and the dragonlord stopped in surprise, but very quickly he recovered and began cleaning it. Occasionally he asked Merlin to pass him something and, having worked for Gaius, Merlin was capable of identifying the herbs that Balinor required.

After about an hour the dragonlord withdrew and once he’d washed his hands in a bowl of water that Merlin fetched for him, he announced that there was nothing more he could do and invited Merlin to eat with him.

As they ate, Merlin realised that it would have to be him that confronted Balinor about his identity. He suddenly felt very sick to the stomach.

* * *

Gaius had only been asleep a few hours when someone barged into the room. _Not now Merlin_. It took him a while to realise that there was no way Merlin could be back yet and by then a hand was shaking his shoulder vigorously whilst a familiar voice hissed “Gaius! Wake up!!”

He opened his eyes and jumped a mile at the sight of Hunith’s anxious face close to his. With some effort he recovered and sat up to address her nervously, already predicting the approaching conflict.

“Hunith.” He laughed awkwardly attempting to alleviate the tense situation but failed miserably.

“Merlin’s gone to find Balinor.” It wasn’t a question. A sad acceptance had settled across her features. He nodded and looked away from her, not wanting to meet her eyes for fear of what he would find there.

“Does he know?” she whispered as if worried that someone else would overhear.

“No.” A sob escaped her and she collapsed in a nearby chair, crying quietly. “I’m sorry, Hunith, I-” he hesitated, “I thought it was for the best.”

“He’s going to hate me isn’t he?” He could not tell whether she meant her son or Balinor, and he opened his mouth to reassure her but the words would not come. Because he did not know how they would feel, and deep down he realised that _he_ had made the decision not to tell Merlin and it was in fact _him_ who persuaded Hunith not to reveal to Merlin the identity of his father.

Gods, what if Gaius had made a mistake?

* * *

The atmosphere was thick enough to be cut through by one of Arthur’s swords, the ones Merlin kept forgetting to sharpen with the result that they were rendered utterly useless. Merlin wiped his mouth and set down his empty bowl, it had been some sort of porridge. Bland and tasteless. But out here in the middle of nowhere luxuries like honey were probably hard to come by. Up to this point he had tried to avoid looking directly at the dragonlord as he was worried that his steely gaze would penetrate Merlin’s weak defences and reveal his true intentions.

But now, with some apprehension, Merlin raised his gaze to meet Balinor’s and failed to note that the eyes he feared were the same shape and shade of blue as his own.

It was silent. Uncomfortably so. And neither seemed willing to break it. In the cost, the unconscious Arthur groaned and Merlin lost the staring contest when he glanced over at the prince in concern. Finally Merlin spoke up.

“Will he be okay?”

“How did he get that wound?” Balinor pointedly ignored the question he had been asked and stared straight at the warlock, as if daring him to lie.

“Bandits. We were attacked by bandits.” Merlin could not look at him; it felt like Balinor could see through his lies and guises. But then again, bandits were a fairly sound excuse; he was attacked by bandits every other week.

“That’s not a sword wound. You and I both know it. It’s a dragon wound.” The dragonlord had abandoned his meal and Merlin could almost feel the surroundings grow colder. He was acutely aware of the sword that had reappeared by Balinor’s side. Not yet picked up, but still in full view, letting Merlin know exactly what he was dealing with. “You knew who I was when you came to find me. Now tell me what you want from me!”


	5. Confrontations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: He was acutely aware of the sword that had reappeared by Balinor’s side. Not yet picked up, but still in full view, letting Merlin know exactly what he was dealing with. “You knew who I was when you came to fine me. Now tell me what you want from me!”

“The Great Dragon has escaped and is attacking Camelot!” Merlin blurted out and flushed at his complete inability to keep a secret, it was a wonder he hadn’t already been executed for sorcery. But Balinor’s stare strongly resembled Gaius’s. It was a glare that made you confess to everything, like a guilty child being interrogated by an adult.

At this news he looked surprised, clearly the story hadn’t reached him yet but in his isolated state that was not terribly shocking. However, given his position as a dragonlord, Merlin had half expected him to be able to sense the dragon’s newfound freedom. Then again, Merlin could only sense the presence of magic by concentrating; perhaps it was the same with dragonlords. Either way, he was momentarily startled so Merlin decided to plough on.

“He’s killing innocent people; we need you to stop him before Camelot is reduced to ruins!” Balinor recovered and rapidly snapped back.

“It’s not the innocent people *Kilgharrah wants, it’s Uther, and until Uther is dead he will not stop!”

“But I thought you could help-”

“Why should I help?” he interrupted angrily, “It is not my business to interfere between the dragon and the king.”

“But the people are dying!” Merlin pleaded, but the dragonlord ignored him, as something seemed to dawn on him and his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Who are you?” Merlin gulped, he hadn’t prepared an answer for this.

“I’m Merlin and he” Merlin gestured to Arthur, “is Sir Leon, the king sent us-”

“No. That’s _Prince Arthur_.” He couldn’t argue against the truth and when Merlin next spoke it was with the tone of someone who has lost all the hope he had begun this quest with.

“Please. You’re our last chance.”

“I will not help Uther.” Balinor said in a tone that allowed no argument. “When the prince awakes, I want you both to leave.”

* * *

The next morning Merlin woke form a fitful sleep with a feeling of dread which had burrowed its way into his stomach as if to take permanent residence. Today he would have to tell Arthur they had failed. In two days time they would have to tell Gaius and Uther and Gwen and the Knights and the people of Camelot that their last hope had been extinguished like a dying match under a heavy boot. It was a duty he was not looking forward to.

Balinor was collecting some herbs; he had said he would give some to Merlin in case Arthur’s wound started acting up again on the way back. Merlin thought it was a pointless gesture. Once they arrived home it would just be a matter of time until the dragon incinerated them.

Merlin packed the bags and made sure the horses were fed and watered for the journey back, and once they were saddled and ready Arthur strode out of the cave beaming like a mad man.

“I feel great!” he announced to anyone willing to listen, “What the _hell_ did you give me?” Balinor ignored him and went back into the cave. Catching sight of Merlin, Arthur went over to him glancing back over his shoulder at the retreating figure of Balinor.

“So you found the dragonlord? Well at least we can go back now and get rid of this overgrown bird.”

“He’s not coming.” Merlin said softly, focussing on the task at hand. “He won’t help.”

“Why not?!” Arthur demanded and without waiting for a response he marched back where the elder man had gone. “You obviously weren’t persuasive enough.”

Curiously, Merlin moved closer to hear the ensuing argument, Arthur attempted the same technique Merlin had by talking about the innocent women and children, when that failed he tried bribery.

“If you help us, my father will drop the charges on you and you will be a free man.”

“Uther promised that before, and then he had the rest of my kind rounded up and killed. Even the children. The _innocent_ children. Your father is no better than the dragon.”

This would have deterred many, but Arthur being the stubborn prat that he was, continued to pester and pester until the dragonlord lost his temper.

“Uther Pendragon hunted me from my home! Then he chased me to another kingdom and made me leave the woman I love! _I will not help him_. If Uther wants his people spared he will leave his castle and meet Kilgharrah’s fire. And only then will Camelot be purged of the corruption he’s spent decades trying to find!”

Arthur could not respond to that. It was clear that nothing he could say would change Balinor’s mind. He strode past Merlin and towards the horses. Merlin hesitated and went back into the cave for one last talk with Balinor.

“Don’t waste your time Merlin!” Arthur called loud enough for Balinor to hear.

“I have another message for you.” Merlin said quietly, once he was sure that Arthur was out of earshot, Balinor grunted.

“Get on with it.”

“Gaius sends his regards.” The dragonlord’s head snapped up at the name. “He told me where to find you and he said you would help to save the innocent. He holds you in such high regard. I thought you might be like him.”

Then before Balinor could respond, Merlin joined Arthur and together they headed back to Camelot, leaving a pensive dragonlord behind.

* * *

Merlin and Arthur were about halfway to Camelot and ready to make camp for the night when they heard the sound of someone approaching. _Bandits_. These woods were known for being full of them. Merlin realised with some dark humour that the lie he had told Balinor almost a day before, could turn out to be true.

Arthur unsheathed his sword and in turn Merlin pulled out his own, knowing that he probably couldn’t help much but he counted on a few branches “mysteriously” dropping off trees.

But it was not a bandit who eventually emerged from behind a thick clump of trees, it was Balinor. In his peripheral vision Merlin saw Arthur relax somewhat, the tenseness in his shoulders seem to loosen but the expression on his face remained the same. The prince was still recovering from his wound; if it _had_ been a group of bandits it was unlikely that Merlin and Arthur could have fought them off. However, despite Arthur’s relief he still managed to snap an angry remark.

“What do you want?” Balinor ignored him. Instead he focussed on Merlin who stood slightly behind Arthur.

“You were right.” He said “There are people in Camelot to whom I owe a debt. And a debt must always be paid.”

“So you will help us?” Arthur was irked that the dragonlord had chosen to address Merlin rather than himself, so now tried to reassert himself in the conversation.

“Yes.” Relief flooded Merlin, _Camelot would be saved_. “But it will be on my own terms.” Balinor finished, Merlin wondered what effects this condition would have but was too pleased to particularly care and he was sure that Arthur felt the same way.

* * *

Once they set up camp for the night Balinor offered to set up some traps overnight to see if they could catch anything for the next days’ breakfast. Arthur wholeheartedly agreed, mainly because he was sick of Merlin’s cooking and volunteered his servant to help.

So Merlin found himself following the dragonlord a short distance into the woods.

“How do you know Gaius?!” Balinor asked conversationally, pushing back a low hanging branch to let Merlin pass through.

“He’s a friend of the family.” Merlin replied, “I’m also his apprentice when Arthur’s not ordering me around.”

“That’s good. I know that Gaius has always wanted a son so having you around probably makes up for the fact he never had one.”

“He has been like a father to me.” Merlin agreed.

They walked a little further until their surroundings became overgrown and densely populated with thick trees so tall they seemed to touch the sky. Here Balinor stopped and pulled some traps from his saddle bag. He handed two to Merlin and started setting up his own.

Merlin held the traps awkwardly, unsure as to how to set them. The ones Arthur and the knights sometimes used were different and even then, Merlin was never allowed near them since as Arthur claimed, it was more likely he would break them than catch anything. Once finished, Balinor looked up to check up on Merlin’s progress and saw him gazing hopelessly at the two traps.

“Well, hurry up boy!” Balinor said.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know how to set them…”

“What do you mean you don’t know? Didn’t your father ever teach you?” A father teaching his son how to hunt was usually a major event in any boy’s life because no matter the location, if you could hunt you could eat and you could survive. It was so practiced that it had become a tradition for the father to teach his son, Balinor even believed that Uther himself had taught Prince Arthur instead of leaving it in the care of a knight.

“I never knew my father.” The tone was very matter of fact, without much emotion, almost like they were discussing the weather instead of his parentage.

“Is he dead?” Having had little to no conversation for almost ten years Balinor was struggling with the art of tact however he tried so soften his voice as he said it.

“No.” Merlin accompanied this with a shake of his head. “He left before I was born.”

“Oh.” It was an issue that Balinor had a great amount of dislike for. He couldn’t understand why a man would abandon his unborn child. Dragonlords were raised to _always_ acknowledge a child of theirs, no matter what the circumstances of the conception were, because that child would eventually inherit the gift after the father died. It disgusted Balinor that some men could so callously forget about their own flesh and blood, pretending they were non existent. In front of him now stood living proof of the repercussions of such a man.

“I’ll show you then.”

* * *

For the next half hour or so Merlin learned how to make, use and dismantle traps as well as the best locations to put them and what kinds of animal they would typically catch. By the time they got back to the camp Arthur looked suitably irritated at having been left alone for such a long time but Merlin’s sudden bout of cheerfulness make him impervious to Arthur’s snarky remarks.


	6. Bandits and Uncovered Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Merlin learned how to make, use and dismantle traps as well as the best locations to put them and what kinds of animal they would typically catch. By the time they got back to the camp Arthur looked suitably irritated at having been left alone for such a long time but Merlin’s sudden bout of cheerfulness make him impervious to Arthur’s snarky remarks.

The new found hope made both Arthur and Merlin careless where they should have been vigilant. Balinor did not have this excuse, but thoughts of returning to civilisation after so many years of isolation made him oblivious to anything else. Under normal circumstances, Arthur would have noticed the bandits following them but the constantly changing emotions from disbelief, despair, hope, despair again and finally relief meant he did not realise they were going to be attacked until the bandits leapt out, swords poised to strike.

Arthur and Balinor, who had both been trained for these kinds of situation, reacted quickly getting themselves and their weapons into defensive positions. It took Merlin a little longer to fumble around with his own sword, but the bandits, probably seeing him as the weaker threat, mostly ignored him.

The two experienced swordsmen successfully held their own, moving swiftly from defensive to offensive and starting to dispatch their opponents. Merlin on the other hand defended himself clumsily to the best of his limited ability, his blocks barely stopping the weapons of the man attacking him. He wouldn’t last much longer, the bandit was stronger and a better fighter than him.

Arthur, having few problems with his own enemies, glanced over concernedly at Merlin just in time to see the metal blade soaring through the air as Merlin’s weapon was knocked from his grip. His hands raised in self defence did not appear to placate the smug bandit. He raised his sword to strike.

Time appeared to slow to a snail’s pace; Merlin saw Arthur’s look of horror and then the blade descending towards him, too close for him to escape.

He closed his eyes. He breathed in. His heart thudded. And he said the words that would both save him and condemn him.

Mid-swing the bandit was flung back by an invisible force, crashing hard into a tree. Gold eyes flashed and dimmed going back to their original blue. The clearing was silent, the clanging of metal on metal ringed into the air and stopped.

“Sorcerer.” The lead bandit whispered to himself. The attack had not gone to plan at all, the targets had proved themselves formidable opponents unlike their appearances had indicated and now one revealed his ability for magic. To defeat a sorcerer you needed either another sorcerer or enough people to overwhelm him/her. Looking around him, the bandit saw his fellows dead, injured or who were close to giving up. _They had no chance_. “Retreat!” He shouted. Balinor and Arthur both struck with surprise were unable to do anything as the remainder of their attackers melted into the gloom of the woods.

Balinor recovered first, settling into an expression of mild amusement, it wasn’t everyday that a high ranking servant in a kingdom renowned for its hatred of magic was found to be practicing the banned art. Arthur however was not so forgiving. He was furious.

Without much thought other than what he had seen with his own eyes, Arthur surged forwards to hold the sword to his friend’s throat.

* * *

Merlin seriously began to wonder why people were so obsessed with waving sharp pointy objects as each other. _Really_ if they wanted to kill one another why didn’t they just do it instead of standing there shouting or waiting quietly as Arthur did now.

He wasn’t sure if Arthur was trying to control his temper or waiting for an explanation. It was unnerving, and it would have been a lie for him to deny being slightly scared. Whatever the reason though, Merlin remained silent. Several spells came to mind which would force the prince to drop his sword but he hesitated to use any. Balinor stood at the side looking indecisive, unsure as to whether he should intervene. Merlin was glad he hadn’t done anything, this revelation had been coming for a long time and it was a matter between him and the prince, not something an outsider should interfere with.

“You’ve lied to me.” Arthur finally spoke, unnaturally cold, Merlin could find no response, after all, it was the truth. “All this time and I didn’t realise.” He no longer spoke to Merlin, berating himself for not noticing the true nature of his servant before. “A sorcerer. _Sorcerer_.”

“Warlock.” Merlin interrupted as loudly as he dared. Arthur looked at him incredulously for his further self condemnation.

“A _what_?”

“I’m a warlock. Not a sorcerer. There’s a distinct difference.” Merlin hoped that he sounded more confident than he felt because at the moment he felt like he was going to melt into a puddle of magic from the murderous heat of the glare Arthur was sending him.

“What difference does _that_ make? Is one more evil and damned than the other?” Arthur snarled in response, his sword slipping closer.

“Warlocks are born with magic, sorcerers have to be trained. Warlocks are supposedly rarer and more powerful.” Balinor spoke for the first time since the bandits had attacked and he eyed Merlin with newfound respect.

“So _all powerful Merlin_ , have you been the one leading the attacks on me? Or have you just assisted?”

“Neither!” Merlin shouted in frustration. “All I’ve ever done is to help!” Ignoring him, Arthur continued having lowered his sword and turned away.

“You have violated the law of Camelot and will be dealt with as appropriate. Once the dragon has been defeated you will be tried for sorcery.” He looked back at Merlin and finished scathingly, “and don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re trialled as a _warlock_.”

The prince marched off, “We’ve wasted enough time. The sooner we get to Camelot the sooner the dragon will die.” And the sooner Merlin would have to face Uther’s wrath.

He could run away. It would be easy. A temporary paralysis spell on both Arthur and Balinor then he could leave. It would give him a decent head start at the very least. But Merlin was the one who had released the dragon despite common sense telling him not to, and so it was his responsibility to make sure that his wrong was put right.

* * *

It was the betrayal and the lies that were the worst part in Arthur’s opinion. Admittedly the threat with the sword might have been a _slight_ overreaction but nonetheless it was necessary. Arthur was the Crown Prince of Camelot, he had to obey the laws as well as anybody else. No one was exempt. Not the King and not Merlin, no matter how powerful he might be.

He would have overlooked the law for a friend, if the next day Gwen admitted to him of being able to speak to fish he would overlook the law for her. But Merlin had lied. He had only admitted the truth when backed into a corner and with no other option. And if he had lied about sorcery, what else had he lied about? Was anything the truth?

Without trust there cannot be a friendship. If you cannot believe a word from your friend’s mouth how can you trust them?

Arthur could not simply take Merlin’s word for it that “All he’d done was help” he would have to investigate and until then believe the worst.


	7. Dragonlord and Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Without trust there cannot be a friendship. If you cannot believe a word from your friend’s mouth how can you trust them? Arthur could not simply take Merlin’s word for it that “All he’d done was help” he would have to investigate and until then believe the worst.

With Arthur walking up ahead, seemingly trying to put as much distance between himself and Merlin as possible, Balinor fell into step with the warlock. He was not in high spirits; his feet dragged across the ground with every step he took.

“He will calm down soon enough.” Balinor told him in a weak attempt to reassure him. Gaze still determinedly on the ground Merlin could not help but answer bitterly regardless of the budding friendship he had with the dragonlord.

“I don’t know. He’s very angry.”

“Exactly! So he is not behaving rationally. When we arrive at Camelot he will realise that you meant him no harm. And even if he doesn’t, escaping the dungeons shouldn’t be too difficult for someone of your power.” Abruptly and seemingly without reason, Merlin laughed, a short angry sound which held little amusement.

“Just think, after tonight you will be free and I will be the wanted man.” He shook his head at the unfairness of it all, to be persecuted because of your birth was something both he and Balinor had in common and something that should never happen because you couldn’t be blamed for something which was beyond your control.

“I wouldn’t say that. Uther is not known for keeping his word. Chances are we will both be stuck in the dungeons.” Merlin frowned.

“But if you think Uther will throw you into prison, then why are you helping us?”

“I have a plan.” Balinor said smiling widely, “If it works I will walk straight through Camelot’s front gate without anyone in pursuit.”

Intrigued, Merlin wanted to question the dragonlord further but from his expression Merlin guessed he would just have to wait and find out.

* * *

A few hours later they were near the outskirts of Camelot and Balinor took charge of the group. The sun was starting to rise, colouring the world in red, as he led them into a large empty clearing that was perfect for what he was about to do.

“Stay back” He warned and he reached within himself for the long untouched power of the dragonlords. The feeling was akin to removing the dust and cobwebs from an artefact of priceless value and he revelled in the power of it. He shouted the ancient words and felt them pierce the air and reach the dragon’s hearing then penetrated past that into his mind, into the place only this type of magic could reach. Kilgharrah roared in protest but the magic continued to reinforce the bond that had been weakened by time and brought it back to its full strength. Dragon to Dragonlord. He was forced to obey the order.

Balinor heard both Merlin and Arthur step back in alarm at the dragon’s large mass flew down and alighted on the ground, metres in front of Balinor.

“So old friend.” His voice boomed out across the clearing. “You have come to kill me for your freedom?”

“Not quite.” Balinor replied and using the language of the dragon he issued the commands that were instrumental to his plan. Once finished, the dragon nodded his assent and chuckled.

“Very well.”

“And you will be completely free once I have passed from this world.” Balinor reminded him as if to compensate for what he had ordered the dragon to do. Kilgharrah looked confused at this.

“You mean, you don’t know?”

“Know what?” Balinor asked equally as confused as the dragon had been. Kilgharrah laughed in the only way that dragons could which is to roar loudly in varying pitch. He spread his wings out and leaned back to take off into the air.

“You will find out soon enough.” He called to Balinor as he flew upwards and away from Camelot. Half tempted to call him back and demand an explanation since Balinor was not someone who enjoyed being left in the dark, however he decided to let the dragon have his fun, whatever it was it couldn’t have been that serious.

* * *

Merlin and Arthur had both been too far to hear the transactions between Balinor and the dragon. Both prince and warlock stood side by side, Arthur seemingly having forgotten he was supposed to be angry at Merlin and more than once he hissed “What is going on?!” to which Merlin’s only reply was a shrugging of his narrow shoulders. Curious as he might be, Merlin couldn’t bring himself to use a listening spell as he was unwilling to violate the dragonlord’s privacy. At this point, Merlin knew as much as Arthur. He remembered that Balinor had spoken of some plan he had to evade Uther’s wrath and wondered if the secret conversation he was having with the winged beast had anything to do with it.

Then the dragon leapt from its powerful haunches and into the sky, leaving without Balinor making any signs of stopping him.

“What the hell is he doing?!” Arthur snapped, then suddenly remembering that Merlin was unspeakably evil he threw him a dirty look and shouted angrily at the approaching Balinor, “You were supposed to kill it!”

“Killing him would have served no purpose.” Balinor replied and looked at Merlin pointedly, ignoring the jab, Arthur continued.

“And what if it comes back to kill more people?”

“He won’t. I asked him not to.”

“You _asked_ it?!” Arthur screeched incredulously.

“Yes I _asked_ him. Politeness goes a long way.” Balinor was still musing over the dragon’s last words to him, but he should worry about that later, right now he had more important things to worry about than an old dragon’s riddles.

“What shall I tell my father then?” The prince demanded.

“Allow me to deal with that, now shall we head to Camelot? Or are you going to shout some more?” Arthur flushed at the reprimand and tried to think of a clever retort but failed and later realised that insulting a dragonlord would not be the smartest idea in the world.

* * *

Balinor’s last memory of Camelot was the day he had escaped its dungeons. Looking back, the view had been impressive: an impregnable castle with high spiralling turrets and a large formidable gate which was the only visible way of getting past the wall that held everything inside.

Now, stepping back to that same gate that he had escaped from the castle of Camelot looked worn. One of the turrets which he had admired was now a collapsed pile of rubble that had taken part of the castle and a nearby wall with it. Some of the homes which had relied on Camelot for protection were now burnt to the ground. All in all, it looked like Camelot had been besieged by an army, not one sole dragon. However twenty years of building hate had managed to be unleashed on this once proud city. With magic, the damage, extensive though it was, would be repaired in a few days. Without it, Balinor could not guess how long it would take.

Hoping that the dungeons were in an equally dilapidated state so that if his plan went awry at least his chances of escape would be high. No doubt today he would have to face Uther Pendragon for the first time in two decades.


	8. Home Sweet Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: With magic, the damage, extensive though it was, would be repaired in a few days. Without it, Balinor could not guess how long it would take. Hoping that the dungeons were in an equally dilapidated state so that if his plan went awry at least his chances of escape would be high. No doubt today he would have to face Uther Pendragon for the first time in two decades.

Merlin felt a little queasy passing through the gate, he had no idea what would happen once they were inside, one possibility that haunted him was of an immediate arrest and swift execution, but whether that would happen sooner or later meant that he would be tense and anxious, constantly waiting for a guard to pop up out of nowhere and accuse him of sorcery. And no doubt once he was arrested, someone with a brain (a rare occurrence in Camelot) would put two and two together and maybe for once get the right answer and figure out that it was he who released the dragon and unleashed the mayhem.

Gwen was the first to greet them, she had seen them coming when she had been fetching water from the well and upon catching sight of them she abandoned her duty and rushed over for news.

“How did it go?” she asked unsure as to who she should be addressing: Arthur, Merlin or the stranger that was with them.

“The dragon is… gone.” Arthur replied with some hesitation, he was still trying to work out how to explain the same to the King.

“That’s great!” a huge weight of worry was lifted off her small shoulders, “Would you like me to start informing the people?” she asked.

“No, not yet. The King will probably wish to make a public announcement.”

“Alright then.” She turned to leave but abruptly remembering something she spoke briefly to Merlin.

“Merlin, your mother is here.”

“She is?!” _What was she doing here?_ Merlin thought frantically to himself. Whilst he absorbed this startling news, Arthur took the moment to interject himself into the conversation.

“I will go tell the King what has happened. I believe he will schedule a meeting at midday to discuss it.” Balinor nodded, understanding that Arthur was giving him a few hours of free time. Merlin shuffled about uncertainly. “I won’t need you until then Merlin, _try_ not to be late.”

“Yes sire.” Merlin doubted that he had ever felt this grateful to Arthur before, he might still be executed later today but for now he had the chance to see his mother, his only family.

“Where is she, Gwen?”

“The infirmary, last I saw, she was helping with the wounded.”

“Thank you.” Merlin left quickly heading to what Balinor assumed was the infirmary. Gwen explained that she had duties to attend to and she too left, although in a different direction to Merlin, leaving Balinor and Arthur alone.

“You shouldn’t be so hard on him.” Balinor advised the prince, not needing to specify as to who he was referring to.

“He broke the law.” Despite the words he said there was little conviction in his tone.

“By existing. The same way I broke the law.”

“That’s different!”

“How so?” Balinor challenged, if he could get Arthur to see the truth then maybe the future would be brighter for all, sorcerers and warlocks and dragonlords alike.

“You- you never lied about who you were!”

“Because then you couldn’t be executed for speaking the truth. Which is why so many people attack Camelot. Most desire freedom from persecution although there are some who want only power. With all this it would be invaluable to have a loyal warlock at your side. And if what Merlin said previously was true, then if he hadn’t been so loyal it is likely that you would already be dead.”

The prince was silent. “Anyway it has been years since I’ve been in Camelot. It will be nice to see if things have changed. I’ll see you later, in the throne room, am I correct?” Wordless, Arthur nodded and was left alone.

* * *

Heading to the infirmary, Merlin saw all the carnage that he had caused indirectly by releasing the dragon. All the death, all the destruction, every single injury was his fault. He doubted he could ever repay this debt. Guilt suffused him, before he had not had the proper time to feel the pain, he had been too busy trying to save Arthur and then worried about whether they would find Balinor or not. Now he felt the full impact of his bad judgement. If had not been enough that he had poisoned Morgana, he had also brought pain to the entire city and its inhabitants.

He wondered if there was any spell to make him forget what he had done, he hadn’t heard of any. Perhaps he could invent one, if it was possible to invent spells.

Hunith had just finished tending to a patient, he managed a smile despite how he was feeling, she looked up and saw him and made a little cry of delight. Moments later she barrelled into him.

“I’ve been so worried! Is everything okay? Are you hurt?!” She checked him over frantically for a non existent injury, then hugged him again with renewed enthusiasm.

“Mother, what are you doing here? It wasn’t safe!”

“I was coming over to visit and then I heard about the dragon! I’m just so glad that you’re okay!” Merlin could not respond; he did not know how long he would be “okay” for.

* * *

Balinor had enjoyed his wander around the city, he had not had the chance to observe the hustle and bustle of everyday life for a very long time, he had been too worried about capture. He toyed with the idea of going to see Gaius but wanted a chance to clear his head before the upcoming confrontation with Uther. There would be plenty of time to visit his old friend later… as long as everything went according to the plan.

It did not take the Dragonlord long to reach the throne room, aside from the destruction the castle was relatively unchanged and he already knew the route. He was stopped at the entrance by two heavily armed burly guards, Balinor eyed their swords warily knowing that if things went wrong he would have to face them although he was comforted by the weight of the sword at his side. Having announced that he was expected, the guards allowed him through.

Hardly anyone else was in the room, there were a few more guards standing around doing their best to look intimidating and there was Merlin. _Clearly not taking any chances of being late._ The warlock glanced over at Balinor’s arrival and Balinor noticed the unnatural paleness of the boy. He was scared.

Balinor walked over to the window where Merlin stood. The boy had been looking at the scaffolding that had miraculously survived the dragon’s attacks, no doubt he was worrying about execution. Reassurances were not the Dragonlord’s strong point but he tried anyway.

“It might not happen.” Merlin snorted.

“You don’t know my luck.” Balinor opened his mouth to advise Merlin to be more optimistic but was interrupted by the arrival of King Uther and Arthur.

The King did not look pleased and looked far older than the last time Balinor had set eyes on him. Although both he and the King were about the same age, Uther’s hair was completely gray and the lines on his face spoke of a long life filled with hard decisions. Balinor on the other hand had only been going gray recently; he looked and probably felt a great deal younger than the King.

Uther glared at him upon noticing and recognising the Dragonlord. Balinor hid a smile; he knew the King’s mood was only going to get worse.


	9. A Royal Tantrum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: “Uther glared at him upon noticing and recognising the Dragonlord. Balinor hid a smile; he knew the King’s mood was only going to get worse.”

The King moved to the centre of the room, eyes trained on Balinor. Dutifully, Merlin went to stand behind the Prince leaving Balinor alone to face the King.

“Leave us.” Uther called to the guards. Clearly, the idea to bring in magical assistance to deal with the dragon was not an issue for the public to know of, Balinor mused. The doors closed behind the last guard with a soft “bang”.

Satisfied that their words would not be heard and spread like fire in hay, Uther addressed Balinor.

“You. Dragonlord.” He did not bother to hide his contempt as he spat out the title. “Have you killed the dragon?” The look in his eyes stated that he already knew the answer but Balinor obliged anyway.

“No I have not.” Technically the answer should have been “No I have not, _your majesty.”_ But Balinor refused to show respect to a man who treated him as though he were a crusty piece of dirt on his boot. Uther noticed the social faux pas and by his sword his fingers closed into a fist.

“Why have you allowed this beast to continue ransacking the country?”

“I have not. Kilgharrah- the dragon has been ordered to stay away from Camelot. And as for why, I simply want to maintain my freedom.” Arthur, sensing that the conversation was not heading towards a positive conclusion, attempted to intervene.

“Father, perhaps-”

“Stay out of this Arthur!” The Prince backed down. Uther returned his steely gaze to Balinor’s unflinching eyes, “What do you mean by _that_?”

“The dragon will stay away from Camelot, he will not destroy the city or its inhabitants _unless_ you try to have me captured or killed.”

“Preposterous!” The King spluttered in outrage, by now his face was almost purple with rage but Balinor was not prepared to put up with a royal tantrum.

“You promised me my freedom once before and you lied! This time I’m not taking any chances.”

For a while the King just stood there trying to think of some reason or excuse for the accusation. Arthur hoped he would accept what Balinor had told him; otherwise this whole trip would have been for nothing. Beside him he felt Merlin tense up, they both waited for the King to make his judgement.

“Very well.” Arthur schooled his emotions and he heard Merlin sigh quietly in relief. Balinor smiled widely and bowed.

“Thank you.” And without waiting for a dismissal he left the room with a subtle spring in his step. Uther swore quietly to himself.

“Bloody Dragonlord.” He muttered, “Anything else, Arthur?” The King asked his son distractedly. Merlin held his breath, if Arthur was every going to expose him it would be now. He waited. Arthur was silent. A few seconds passed.

“No father. Nothing.” Merlin’s head shot up and he stared at the Prince in surprise, Arthur pretended not to notice him.

“Alright then you may go.” Arthur nodded respectfully to his father and followed Balinor through the door, Merlin behind him in a stunned stupor.

Once out of the room and out of earshot, Arthur remarked cheerfully “First time I’ve ever seen you at a loss for words, aren’t you going to thank me?”

“What-why-?” Merlin flushed, “Thank you.”

“I can’t believe I didn’t realise before.” Arthur complained, “All those times where everything seemed to resolve itself.”

“You’re not very observant.” Merlin agreed, Arthur clapped him on the shoulder.

“Now that all that is sorted, I have a ton of chores for you which _I’m sure_ will be _no problem_ for someone of your abilities. Which would you like to start with? Mucking out the stables or cleaning my armour?”

* * *

Bursting into spontaneous dancing was decidedly not a good idea, Balinor decided, he was far too old for such behaviour but after twenty years of being hunted like a common criminal the freedom he now had was overwhelmingly exhilarating, enough to make him consider doing anything as embarrassing and inappropriate as dancing in public.

Serious thoughts soon came to mind, what would he do now? There was no way in hell that he was going back to the cave, not now that he didn’t have to. Visiting Hunith back in Ealdor, although an attractive possibility, was out of the question. By now, Hunith would have moved on and Balinor did not wish to interfere where he may not be wanted.

Shaking the unpleasant imagers of his former lover with a husband and children from his head, Balinor remembered the druid representative who had visited him only a month before. A large group of peaceful druids had built a hidden town in a forest near to Cenred’s kingdom and had offered Balinor a place on their council since as the last Dragonlord he was considered magical nobility because of his link to the wise and powerful creatures. At the time he had politely declined, not wanting to inadvertently draw Uther’s attention to the place but now that it was unlikely he would be followed he was free to join the druids.

The more he considered it the more the idea appealed to him. It would be a quiet life with just enough challenges and difficulties to keep him on his toes, he wouldn’t have to worry as much about passing patrols of soldiers _and_ he would be able to talk to someone other than himself. That sealed the deal, he _would_ join the druids but he had some other matters to attend to before he departed from the city.

* * *

Gaius was feeling stressed to say the least. Merlin, Balinor _and_ Hunith were all in the castle _at the same time_. No doubt everything would go to hell if they ever came in contact, and it didn’t help that Hunith, in her joy at seeing her son had somehow managed to completely forget that the other parent, still blissfully unaware of the family member he had acquired, was in the same building.

He had been anticipating the blow out ever since Merlin had arrived and was worried that his current facial expression was close to manic since Merlin had concernedly asked him if he was alright. Gaius could not remember the exact words but he believed he had spluttered something about leeches and cleaning.

The door swung open and Gaius turned around frantically trying to locate the intruder- it was Merlin, with that damned concerned expression again.

“Are you sure you’re okay Gaius? You’ve really been on edge lately.”

“Fine.” Later, Gaius would adamantly tell anyone who listened that he had _not_ squeaked, he had spoken in a manner befitting of his age and profession.

“I need to get some things back so I can accompany Mother back home.” _He was leaving?_ Gaius swore quietly to himself, normally he wasn’t the type but the occasion called for it.

“Don’t you want to spend more time with your mother, here in Camelot?” Merlin shrugged.

“Well I would, but Camelot isn’t very safe at the moment, not with all that has been happening recently and we will have plenty of time on the journey to catch up.” Gaius felt his heart sink, he would just have to hope. It was not his place to interfere.


	10. It's a Small World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: “I need to get some things back so I can accompany Mother back home.” He was leaving? Gaius swore quietly to himself, normally he wasn’t the type but the occasion called for it. “Don’t you want to spend more time with your mother, here in Camelot?” Merlin shrugged. “Well I would, but Camelot isn’t very safe at the moment, not with all that has been happening recently and we will have plenty of time on the journey to catch up.” Gaius felt his heart sink, he would just have to hope. It was not his place to interfere.

Disbelieving, Balinor was rooted to the spot. On his way to see Gaius in the Physician’s quarters he had rounded a corner and found himself stunned into paralysis. It was _her_. There could be no doubt about it.

Her hair was still the same light brown shade although longer than when he had last run his hands through it. He had seen a glimpse of her face, the same features were present although older now. She wasn’t a conventional beauty but there was something special about her and the way she carried herself that made her stand out from other women. She had not yet seen him. Reflexively he called out her name and cursed himself as she froze mid step. It was too late to back out now though. She tentatively looked over her shoulder and made an odd squeak when she caught sight of him.

Now that she was facing him he could examine her properly, she looked well, not as unhealthily thin as before. It was likely that someone was now providing for her. A husband, perhaps. He tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach as he walked over to her.

“Balinor! I-I forgot you were going to be here.”

“You knew I was coming?” He wondered how she had managed to find out what was likely to be confidential information. Uther would not have wanted it to become common knowledge that he had been forced to summon a magic user to save Camelot. He would not have wanted the people to think him too weak to deal with a dragon alone.

“Yes, I arrived a few days ago to visit… Gaius.” Hunith looked unnaturally flustered and worried, a far cry from that confident and fearless woman he remembered. Fearless enough to hide him when soldiers questioned her about his whereabouts whilst he was hidden in her wardrobe surrounded by the few dresses she could afford. Balinor had never had as much respect for anyone, man or woman, as he had in that moment.

“It’s good to see you.” He said sincerely.

“You too.” She smiled weakly and then it faded, “Balinor… there’s something I need to tell you.”

_Oh hell_. It was selfish of him to but he had always hoped she would not marry after he left. Yes, he wanted to be happy but the prospect of her being happy with someone else pained him. And now she was probably going to shatter his illusions and tell him of how she had moved on, something he really did not want to hear.

“It is really important.” She said, eyes fixed on the floor, “Could we-”

“Mother!” The sudden interruption to the tense situation surprised both of them making them instinctively turn to who had spoken.

It was Merlin. _Mother. Mother. Mother._ Hunith had a _son_. Hunith was Merlin’s mother. It was too much to process at once. Balinor was aware of being frozen to the spot as Hunith went over to speak to Merlin. _Her son_. He handed her a letter, telling her it had just arrived from Ealdor and glanced curiously between Balinor and Hunith wondering what he had interrupted. Hunith thanked Merlin and with fast deft fingers she opened the later and skimmed the contents anxious to speak to the two uncomfortable looking men. A frown marred her features and she read it again more carefully this time. Dread sinking its claws into her she read it a third time hoping the words would change.

They didn’t.

“Mother!” Merlin cried in alarm and grabbed Hunith’s arm before she could fall and quickly led her over to a nearby chair.

“It’s gone.” She murmured quietly, “Everything’s gone.” Balinor, slightly thawed now, picked up the discarded letter as Merlin tried to coax her into explaining. The Dragonlord read the letter and immediately understood the reason for Hunith’s dismay. There had been a fire at Ealdor, not uncommon in the summer, it had spread out of control and while the villagers had been helping those trapped to escape, Hunith’s house had been burnt beyond repair and most of the contents reduced to ash.

“Do you want me to get Gaius?” Merlin asked, once he too had read the letter that Balinor passed to him.

“No! No. It’s okay. I-I just need a minute. Could you get me some water please?” Merlin nodded and quickly left in the direction of the kitchens. Once he had rounded the corner, Balinor moved over to Hunith’s seated form.

“This is _not_ my day.” She whispered softly, “Why can’t something just go right for once?”

“Unfortunately that’s life. At least you have a chance to get out of Ealdor like you have always wanted.”

“But where would I go? I’ve spent my entire life in Ealdor I can’t imagine living anywhere else.” She sighed and looked up at him contemplatively. “I wish I could have told you years ago.”

“Told me what?”

“It’s about after you left…” She hesitated and looked away from him, “And it’s about Merlin.”

“Oh.” Balinor had a feeling he knew where she was going with this, although he had always assumed that Hunith had moved on with someone else, hearing the news from those lips, the same ones he had kissed during the cold winter months, would only make the reality much more concrete. He would have preferred to remain in his cave and speculate rather than be proven right.

“He convince me to come here. I didn’t realise he was your son.” A touch of pride brightened her face, “But now it seems obvious, you both look alike.”

“That’s nice of you to say, but he doesn’t look very much like me.” She took a deep breath to steel herself for what she was going to do. God, she hoped she was making the right decision. “He looks more like you actually.”

“What?!”

“Balinor. He’s your son.”


	11. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: “That’s nice of you to say, but he doesn’t look very much like me.” She took a deep breath to steel herself for what she was going to do. God, she hoped she was making the right decision. “He looks more like you actually.”- “What?!”- “Balinor. He’s your son.”

Balinor froze for the second time that day and seeing that he wasn’t responding, Hunith hurriedly continued, blinking away the moisture gathering in her eyes.

“I’m sorry I haven’t told you before. And I really hope you can forgive me for this, if not, I understand but please give me a chance to explain.” She pleaded.

“Does Merlin know?” Balinor surprised himself by asking.

“No. Not yet.” She wiped away a few errant tears. “I wanted to tell you first.” He could tell she was struggling to maintain her composure and he carefully put his arms around her and hugged her.

“Shh, don’t cry. I hate it when you cry.” She hugged him back and sobbed openly.

Balinor was still shocked about this new revelation, it was still sinking in. He knew that eventually he would be upset at having missed twenty years of his only child’s life but he could not bring himself to blame Hunith. He had made the decision to leave, he had abandoned any responsibility he might have left behind and he had not left Hunith with any means to contact him. If it was anybody’s fault that he did not know about Merlin, it was his own.

Their moment was abruptly ended by the arrival of the aforementioned son. They belatedly pulled apart, unwilling to have been caught in such a position.

Merlin, who was completely unaware of the events of the past few minutes, was more than a little confused but he resolved to put it out of mind until he could question Gaius. Balinor moved so Merlin could hand Hunith the water.

“Thank you, Merlin.” She smiled at him fondly. Balinor shuffled awkwardly, unsure how to act or behave now that his whole world had been turned upside down. At the movement, Hunith turned to him. “Balinor, we can continue talking about our business later, if that is okay with you?” He nodded and speedily walked away.

* * *

“What was all that about?” Merlin asked curiously once Balinor had left.

“He’s an old friend.” She told him vaguely, “and a good man. A little pigheaded and stubborn at times but good.” She sighed, “I still haven’t figured out what I’m going to do about this housing situation.”

“You could stay here, we could find something.” Merlin suggested.

“That’s very kind of you Merlin, but you shouldn’t have to. I might go stay with my brother, he did offer a few years back. I’ll send him a letter tonight.”

Merlin did not think this was a terribly good idea, his Uncle William had succeeded in getting ahead in life and had become snobbish and stuck up as a result. He only offered Hunith to stay with him so that he could make himself look better and had made little effort to hide his disgust at her illegitimate child. If his mother did go live with him, he would probably put on a big show of it to make himself seem like a caring, considerate brother. It was because of Uncle William that Merlin had always felt uneasy and dislike for nobles.

He hoped that an alternative solution could be found soon.

* * *

Later that evening, Balinor and Hunith met up in private to finish their talk. Hunith filled him in on everything he had missed of his son’s life, she apologised for not knowing much about more recent times but Merlin had not kept her informed about the goings on of Camelot.

“I don’t think he wants me to worry, that’s probably why he keeps so quiet about it…” she admitted.

“He has your best interests at heart. He can’t be faulted for that.”

“True.” She sighed, “I’m surprised the King hasn’t tried to force you out of Camelot yet.” She changed the subject.

“He wouldn’t dare, he’s tolerating my presence at the moment. Have you sorted your housing problems yet?” he asked concernedly.

“Not yet. But I have a solution. My brother-” He interrupted before she could continue.

“I thought you didn’t like your brother!” It was more than just dislike, he remembered the rant that had ensued from the condescending letter she received from William along with a small bag of gold. She had refused to spend a penny in retaliation.

“I don’t. But I don’t have any other option unfortunately. Anyway, enough about that, we need to talk about how we’re going to tell Merlin.” She looked at him seriously, “I think I should do it. I don’t know how he will react.”

“I understand.” He squeezed her hand comfortingly.

“I’ll do it tomorrow.” She promised.

* * *

The following morning, Merlin went about his usual duties. He had not been as discreet as he had thought when even Arthur asked him what the problem was. Grudgingly he had admitted to his mother’s housing situation and how he was trying to find a solution to it.

Arthur’s tone had been vaguely mocking when he’d asked what was wrong, but it abruptly changed to absolute sincerity when he offered that Hunith could stay in Camelot for however long was needed until she could find somewhere new. Merlin had half suspected that Arthur was trying to thank him in his own way for all the times he had saved his life and the other half suspected that Arthur was offering this due to his own soft spot for Merlin’s mother since he had never had one and Hunith had always treated him as her own. Either way, regardless of the reason, Merlin was grateful to him.

Merlin decided he would pass on the message when he saw his mother, which would be around midday since she had asked him to meet her to discuss something important. She had given no other clue and Merlin was stumped as to what she might want to talk about.

Soon enough he met her in the Court Physician’s rooms, where Gaius was conspicuous by his absence. Normally he would at this time be preparing tonics for any and all ailments, but today he was not. Hunith smiled at Merlin uneasily, he could tell that something was worrying her, she gestured to the chair in front of her, urging him to sit down. Warily he did so.

“What was it you wanted to talk about, Mother?” he asked.

“Something I should have told you a while ago.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “It’s about your father.” Merlin’s surprise was obvious, he had often asked when he was younger but she had never wanted to talk about it.

“I’m sorry it has taken me so long to tell you, but I couldn’t risk you trying to find him. If you had been followed…” she shook her head putting away the unpleasant images.

“Why?”

“Your father has a magical background, the King had been hunting him down before we met, and that was the same reason why he had to leave.” This was no great revelation, Merlin had guessed as much, his own magic could not have come out of nowhere.

“Why are you telling me this now?” Hunith steeled herself.

“I-I saw him again… recently. And the King is no longer chasing him.” Something in this story was starting to sound terribly familiar to Merlin and then it hit him. Yesterday. The dragonlord and Merlin’s mother. Hugging.

“Merlin?” she asked worriedly, he had gone very pale and silent.

“I have to go.” Was all he could say.

* * *

He was shocked, there was no other way to describe it, he felt like the entire world had been tipped on its side and nothing made any sense anymore. Everything he thought he knew was now drastically altered. His mind kept swimming, he couldn’t make sense of anything. The image just kept running through his head. Had he known at the time? Was Merlin the last person to find out? Gaius would have known, why had this been kept from him for so long? Didn’t _he_ had a right to know?

He marched out of the castle, his thoughts still racing around, he ended up walking about a league into the forest not caring about the time, his duties or anything else.

His magic, which had been bottled up inside him, reacted to his raw emotions and he was dangerously close to losing control of it. Eventually he could not keep a hold of it and he no longer really wanted to. Pure power poured out of him and blasted out, knocking over trees and pulverising rocks.

Merlin sat down in the now bare clearing, put his head in his hands and breathed out a breath he had not been aware he had been holding.

* * *

When Balinor walked into the physician’s apartments, the first thing he saw was Hunith wringing her hands. He gently took hold of her shoulders and held her still, preventing her from resuming her frantic pacing in an attempt to calm her.

“Hunith. What happened?”

“I don’t know! I was halfway through telling him and he must have guessed! And then he just ran off!” She paused to get her breath back, “Oh God. I am a terribly mother.”

“You are not.” He told her firmly, “He was probably just shocked. It is not your fault.”

“Gaius! Have you seen-” Arthur stopped abruptly when he realised that Hunith and Balinor were there instead of Gaius. “Oh. I’m sorry, have either of you seen Merlin? He’s been missing since midday?” Hunith shook her head.

“He left around that time.” She told him.

“Do you know which way he went?” Arthur asked, both of them shook their heads. “He’s probably at the tavern. Again.” Arthur grumbled to himself. “I’ll find him.”


	12. An Important Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: “Oh. I’m sorry, have either of you seen Merlin? He’s been missing since midday?” Hunith shook her head. “He left around that time.” She told him. “Do you know which way he went?” Arthur asked, both of them shook their heads. “He’s probably at the tavern. Again.” Arthur grumbled to himself. “I’ll find him.”

The taverns yielded no results. Merlin was nowhere to be found, but Arthur kept looking anyway. It was unusual for Merlin to disappear without a note or a message with Gaius. He took a horse, he had no idea how far Merlin could have gotten, but he had a few hours head start which Arthur had to catch up on.

Arthur searched the village near Camelot, asked the knights and Gwen if they had seen him, they hadn’t. He ended up searching the forest and eventually came upon a clearing that looked as though it had been completely decimated by something. Arthur abruptly remembered Merlin’s magic and hastily added ‘or someone’ to the end of that last sentence.

Arthur guessed that Merlin had some kind of magical blowout, but he wasn’t here now, he couldn’t help but wonder what had caused Merlin to have such a reaction. The man was so laid back and easy going that it was strange to think that he had been angry enough to destroy a small section of the forest.

A few hours later, the sun was starting to set and it was growing dark. Arthur knew that he couldn’t search for much longer but he didn’t want to give up on his friend. He was just about to turn back when he noticed a small figure in front of a large lake up ahead.

It was Merlin.

Arthur sighed in relief, his earlier annoyance at not being able to find his manservant had soon turned to worry. Now he was just glad to have found him.

“Merlin!” he shouted, he saw Merlin turn slightly at the sound but made no other acknowledgement of Arthur’s presence. Arthur marched up to him, feeling as though the effort he had gone to find Merlin was completely unappreciated.

“Where the hell have you been? You’ve been gone for hours!”

“You sound worried about me.” It was supposed to be a joke but it was said so hollowly that Arthur couldn’t help but frown.

“What happened?” Arthur asked seriously, Merlin stood up abruptly.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Arthur was annoyed by this, he was sick of secrecy.

“Why not?”

“It’s personal.”

“Like your magic was personal? You can’t just keep bottling things up, Merlin, it’s not healthy.”

“It’s not like that.” Merlin hesitated, “It’s about my father.”

Arthur knew this was a soft point for Merlin and immediately regretted his sharp comments. He knew he would have reacted the same as Merlin if something unexpected about his mother was brought up.

“Did you find out who he was?” Arthur asked carefully.

“Yes. Can we stop talking about this now?” Merlin pleaded. Arthur ignored his own curiosity and nodded, and they headed back to Camelot.

* * *

Once they got back, Merlin made a point of avoiding both his mother and Balinor. He wasn’t angry anymore, just confused and unhappy about the whole situation. Everything was so incredibly awkward and he didn’t know what to do.

Merlin had already told his mother he did not blame her and she had urged him to speak to Balinor, _his father_. He had made a non committal sound at the time and quickly changed the subject. He _had_ seen Balinor several times for very brief awkward intervals. Both of them had only had a few days to come to terms with their new discovered relationship.

It would probably take something big to force the two to talk for more than five minutes at a time.

* * *

“Are you two still not talking?” Hunith demanded of Balinor. He shrugged sheepishly, he was glad that she was back to her usual self now that the heavy burden of guilt and worry had been lifted. She had mellowed considerably in the twenty year absence, probably the result of motherhood, but she hadn’t lost the sharp edge that made her so different to other women Balinor had known. He had to admit it was a quality he found terribly attractive.

“It’s like dealing with children.” She said to herself, “Almost as bad as dealing with my brother.”

“You’re talking to William again?” Balinor asked in surprise, “I thought you were making a point not to?”

“I was, but he had offered to let me stay with him and his family.” She tried to hide her reluctance at this but Balinor saw through her false enthusiasm.

“You told me his wife was no better than him and they were raising their children to be the next generation of pompous toe rags.” Hunith gave an unladylike snort.

“And that’s exactly what those brats became! Copying whatever their cow of a mother said behind our backs to Merlin.” She muttered angrily.

“Then why are you going to stay with them?” He asked gently, aware that she was getting dangerously close to the point of either an angry or emotional outburst again, neither of which he wanted to cause.

“I don’t have a choice.” She said quietly, “I have nowhere else.” Balinor had the feeling that he was about to say something potentially stupid but he did it anyway.

“Why don’t you come with me?” He quickly hurried on when he saw her stunned expression, “If you wanted to. I’m going to a druid camp, they said I could bring family and I’m sure you would count.” Aware that he was babbling he awkwardly trailed off, already anticipating the sting of rejection.

“Are you sure?” she asked warily, “That is a lot you are offering.”

“Absolutely,” he answered without any hesitation, “Besides, if I hadn’t left you in the first place, you wouldn’t have had so much to deal with by yourself. This is the very least I can do to make up for you having to raise Merlin on your own.”

“It wasn’t your fault.” She reprimanded him, but there was no anger in her voice.

“Nevertheless, my offer still stands.” He paused, “Will you come with me?”

A simple question, with only two possibly answers, but they both knew that he wasn’t just offering her a home. He was offering her a new start, a chance to start afresh with him, without any of the worries they had when they first started their relationship.

“Yes.”


	13. No More Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: “Nevertheless, my offer still stands.” He paused, “Will you come with me?” A simple question, with only two possibly answers, but they both knew that he wasn’t just offering her a home. He was offering her a new start, a chance to start afresh with him, without any of the worries they had when they first started their relationship. “Yes.”

Merlin was sitting somewhat sullenly while he watched his mother pack up what meagre belongings she had brought with her. The only belongings she had left. He had missed her terribly and had spent so little time with her while she was here but now she was getting ready to leave again and he was not sure when he would next get to see her. It was not as if he ever got time off his duties to visit her.

“So you’re definitely going to live with Uncle William then?” he asked, Hunith paused suddenly midway through putting her rather light looking purse away.

“Actually, I sent him a letter yesterday telling him I had found alternative arrangements.” She said.

“Oh?” Merlin was not aware of any ‘alternative arrangements’ but he was certainly glad his mother would not have to put up with his Uncle’s overbearing attitude.

“Your father has asked me to stay with him.” Merlin stiffened, “And I accepted.” Merlin was quiet, his emotions about this news were mixed. He could hear the happiness in his mother’s voice despite her trying to cover it up, knowing how he currently felt about Balinor, and Merlin desperately wanted her to be happy, it was the least she deserved. But he also knew that any chance he had to visit his mother he would also be forced to face Balinor. He was getting more used to the idea of Balinor as his father but that did not mean that their relationship was going to be running smoothly from now on. There was still a lot of trust to be gained on both sides before that could happen. Merlin still knew so little about him.

“Are you upset with me?” Hunith asked softly.

“No, Mother.” Merlin embraced her warmly, feeling more like a child than he had in years, “I just want you to be happy.”

“I am happy.” Hunith said, hugging him back, “But I want you to be as well.”

“It will take some getting used to.” He admitted.

“Talk to him. For me. _Please_.” She pleaded, Merlin paused and eventually nodded.

* * *

Balinor had been saddling his new horse when Merlin suddenly appeared next to him, causing Balinor to jump in surprise.

“I’m sorry I overreacted. And I’m sorry for avoiding you.” Merlin said before Balinor could ask what he wanted.

“It’s fine.” Balinor replied, “I doubt anyone else could have acted better in the same situation.”

“That doesn’t make my behaviour acceptable. You saved Camelot, even though you didn’t have to, and I’ve been rude to you about something you have no control over.” Merlin was quiet for a moment. “Mother told me where you are going, you should know that there are bandits in the region so you should stick to the main roads, knights occasionally patrol them so bandits usually stay clear. It’s your responsibility to look after Mother now, and if anything happens to her I will hold you solely responsible.” There was a dangerous glint in Merlin’s eyes that left Balinor in no doubt about the truth of Merlin’s words.

“I will protect her with my life.” Balinor promised.

And just like that, the two of them had formed a mutual understanding. To anyone else, Merlin’s words might have been cold and harsh, but Balinor knew that Merlin was entrusting him with the closest family he had and from here Balinor could start to regain the trust he had lost by not being there in Merlin’s life. It may not have been much, but it was a start and it was better than nothing.

* * *

Merlin watched his parents leave, Hunith turning back to wave him goodbye and he raised a hand in acknowledgement, already feeling the loss of her warm presence. He was dimly aware of Gaius arriving beside him.

“Haven’t seen you an awful lot the past few days.” Merlin said glumly. Gaius was silent.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that Balinor was your father when you left Camelot.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Merlin didn’t hold grudges, he would never know how the situation might have turned out had he been forewarned and there was no point dwelling on it. The past was the past, it was the present and the future that were important.

* * *

“My father’s finally calmed down since Balinor left.” Arthur announced cheerfully as Merlin laid out his clothes for the next day. “He’s been taking out his anger on everyone else in the castle, so everyone who knows the dragonlord was the cause are relieved too.” Arthur sighed, “Although I don’t suppose we’ll ever see him again, which is a shame, I liked him, he was very brave to come to Camelot.” Merlin squashed down the small amount of pride he felt at that comment.

“Just make magic legal when you become King.” He said grinning, “He won’t be the only one that is grateful.” Arthur rolled his eyes.

“It will take some time for people to get used to the idea that magic isn’t evil. My father has been telling them that it is for so long that it will be hard to persuade them otherwise.

“You actually want to do it?” Merlin asked surprised.

“Of course, at the very least I’ll remove the death penalty and stop people being hunted down like common criminals.” Arthur said, “But I won’t be able to do any of that until I am King. You and Balinor have shown me that magic can be used for good, and helping people like you is a small token in return for all your help to a kingdom that would condemn you for what you were born as.”

Merlin was awed by Arthur’s trust inn him, and incredibly grateful to Balinor for his help in convincing Arthur.

“Arthur.” Merlin said slowly, “You know we said no more secrecy?”

“Yes. What about it?”

“My mother is going to live with Balinor.”

“What?” Arthur shot up in disbelief, “But she’s only known him a few days.”

“Actually, she’s known him for about twenty years.” Merlin paused significantly, however Arthur failed to understand the point Merlin was getting at, he sighed heavily. “Guess how old I am.”

In the castle, if anyone had been unsure as to whether life would return to normal after the devastation caused by the dragon, they were immediately reassured by the familiar royal shout of:

“ _Merlin_!”


	14. Epilogue

Merlin held on to his pack with everything he had, knowing that the precious cargo had to be delivered before anything bad happened. He carefully walked through the forest, magical senses extended waiting for them to come in contact with the barrier he knew was around there, somewhere.

He had changed specifically so that he would be inconspicuous when he arrived, he had no intention of having every druid in the area surrounding him and praising his greatness. The acknowledgement was nice, but Merlin hated being in the centre of attention, and more than that he hated being put up on a pedestal as his failures became all the more crushing because of it.

Ah! There it was! Merlin cast a quick spell to see through the cloaking barrier and make sure that no one was watching. They weren’t. He quickly went through the barrier, still holding on to his pack and walked towards the inner part of the large druid camp. It was night, so there were only a few guards out who looked at him curiously then dismissed him. After all, if he was anti-magic, he would have brought an army not just a heavy looking pack.

He walked past a row of magically built houses until he came across a garden that was almost identical to the one at his childhood home in Ealdor, although that garden was no more. It had burnt away with the rest of the house.

Merlin knocked on the door, aware that he was probably waking his parents up, but his errand was too important to worry about that. A bleary eyed Hunith opened the door.

“What is- Merlin!” She shrieked and almost knocked it over in her enthusiasm to hug him. “You’re as cold as ice, come in and warm up!” He allowed her to drag him inside and shove in front of the dying embers of the fire, he put his pack on the table and accepted the food his mother gave him.

“You look as though you haven’t eaten in days.” She said concernedly as Merlin wolfed down the food.

“Hunith, what’s going on?” Balinor came down, Merlin stopped eating to point at the pack.

“That’s for you.” He said. Curiously, Balinor opened the pack and gaped at what he lifted out of it. A dragon egg.

“Where did you get this?” Balinor asked.

“Long story.” Merlin replied, reluctantly he stood up from the fire. “Kilgharrah says you have to hatch it, I have to go back to Camelot. Arthur’s covering for me, but if I’m gone too long people will ask questions.”

“But you’ve only just got here.” Hunith said sadly, “Come back and visit soon, it’s been so long since we saw you last.”

“I will.” Merlin hugged her warmly. “Goodbye Mother,” there was a tiny hesitation before Merlin added, “Goodbye Father.”

The final word dragged Balinor’s attention away from the egg he had been examining, Suddenly, trying to revive an almost extinct race of magical creatures did not seem so important.

Hunith smiled to herself, content that the two most important people in her life had fully accepted each other.

* * *

**THE END**


	15. Bonus Chapter

A year into Balinor’s pleasant new life, he was more than a little surprised to receive a letter. This in itself may not have been too strange, however there were a number of peculiarities about the letter which made the event so prominent in his memory.

Firstly, the majority of people who may have wanted to send him a letter believed him to be dead, and whenever Merlin corresponded with them he usually addressed the letters to both Hunith and Balinor so the letter wasn’t from him; secondly, the letter was brought by an owl. _An owl_. He had stared in bemusement until Hunith had rather exasperatedly told him to “ignore the method of transport and just read the bloody letter!” which he had then, rather sheepishly, done. Curious to see who the letter was from, Balinor skipped to the end of the letter to see the sender’s name.

“Who is it from?” Hunith asked.

“King Arthur.” A few months previously, whilst Merlin and Arthur had been away on a quest, one Arthur would not have gone on without the knowledge that he had magic to back him up, there had been an attack on Camelot and although they had managed to defeat the invaders, Uther had been fatally wounded and had only managed to survive until Arthur’s return. Balinor wondered what the busy new king could want to speak to him about.

“Is it about Merlin?” Hunith asked quickly, worried that something may have happened to him.

“Not exactly.” Balinor replied as he finished reading the letter, “He’s asking about ceremonies and posts that existed before the purge.”

“Couldn’t he have asked Gaius, wouldn’t that have been quicker and easier?”

“Not concerning these specific ceremonies and posts, Gaius was only the court physician; these ceremonies were usually only attended by certain members of the nobility and magical community.”

“Magical? What sort of post is he asking about?”

“Court Sorcerer.” Balinor paused thoughtfully, “Corin attended Nimueh’s appointment ceremony as well as myself, I’ll check the details with him before I send a reply.” Balinor hoped that he wasn’t misunderstanding the significance of Arthur’s request for magical information.

* * *

Sure enough, a short while after Balinor had double checked his information and sent Arthur a reply (feeling distinctly odd trying to attach a letter to an owl, and Hunith had been no help whatsoever as she had just stood by and laughed at his attempts to keep the bird still), another letter arrived, this one far grander and official looking (but still brought by an owl which had sent Hunith into fresh rounds of laughter at the disgruntled expression on Balinor’s face).

The envelope contained two letters, one of which was a formal invitation for both Balinor and Hunith to attend the inauguration ceremony of the new court sorcerer as well as the lifting of the ban on magic and the formal royal apology to the magical community for the actions of the late King Uther, it went on to say that after this event, all the lands and titles which had belonged to Balinor before the purge would be returned to him and he would also be given a seat on the King’s council of advisors. The second letter was less formal; it was a request from Arthur for Balinor to locate and invite prominent members of the magical community to also attend. Arthur could not do it himself for obvious reasons.

Balinor showed both letters to Hunith who was almost bursting with joy. Arthur had never specified who would be given the post, he hadn’t needed to. Balinor had immediately gone to drag Corin, one of the druid leaders of this settlement, to his and Hunith’s house in order to persuade him to attend. Corin had put up some resistance, not believing the invitation to be genuine, until Balinor told him that he was going himself. Balinor had then quickly written a response to Arthur saying that he and Hunith would attend and that he would try to reach out to old acquaintances. Letter sent and a brief goodbye said to Hunith, Balinor called Kilgharrah and set off.

He first visited major druid leaders but most of them had the same fears as Corin. They all believed that the invitation was a trap, that Arthur was no better than his father and that Balinor was a fool for falling for it. He hadn’t told them that Arthur was aware that he had a practicing warlock as a manservant and had made no move to execute him in the past year despite having the opportunity. He did manage to get promises from some more hopeful druids, as well as a member of the Catha called Alator whose desire for a Camelot where magic was freely practiced was clear, he even made some mention of the possibility of this being the start of Albion but Balinor had to hide his cynicism about this since he knew that, without Emrys, Albion was impossible and the legendary sorcerer had yet to make an appearance.

Knowledge that a powerful sorcerer like Alator would be going encouraged a few others and with better numbers, Balinor headed towards the Isle of the Blessed to see his old friend Nimueh. When he arrived, he looked around but could not see the sorceress anywhere until an unfamiliar blonde woman appeared followed by another unfamiliar brunette. Balinor gave them the typical magical greeting and they both responded in turn. The blonde introduced herself as Morgause, a high priestess, but did not say anything about her companion. When Balinor enquired about Nimueh, Morgause informed him of her death. He was saddened by this news, but not surprised, Nimueh had been more furious than most about Uther’s actions and no doubt she had done something rash and gotten herself killed for it. In exchange for this information, Balinor told them about the appointment of a new court sorcerer and asked them to attend as representatives of the Priestesses of the Old Religion. The brunette chose this time to speak up.

“Arthur would never lift the ban on magic; he is too much like Uther.” Balinor shrugged.

“Choose what you want to believe, in a few months I’m sure the truth will come out.” He said his goodbyes and thanked them for their time while they said they would pray to the goddess and hope he survive the inevitable trap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is meant to be another bonus chapter that continues on from this which I have not yet gotten around to writing, nor do I know if I ever will. In case I don't , the brunette mentioned at the end is meant to be Morgana.


	16. Bonus Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Arthur sent Balinor a letter asking him to invite prominent members of the magical community to the inauguration ceremony of the new court sorcerer.

Having done his duty, Balinor anxiously waited for the date of the court sorcerer inauguration ceremony. True to his word, Arthur had publically legalised magic in a speech whose fragments were still being repeated around Camelot and the surrounding countries. The purge, he had said, was the tragic result of his father’s grief and unwillingness to accept his part in his mother’s death. Arthur had talked at great length about the good that sorcerers had been able to accomplish, and he had described many of the acts performed by sorcerers that had played a part in saving Camelot rather than destroying it. Balinor himself had been given an honourable mention as the magic-wielding Dragonlord who had stopped the dragon’s razing of Camelot, at great risk to his own safety. The new King had admitted that he too had been as prejudiced as his father, but he had learned since that magic was not inherently evil, it was a tool. A hammer could be used to help build a house, but in the wrong hands it could also be used to break a man’s skull.

The King’s law change had been met with scepticism from many and in some cases outright hostility from some of the younger citizens of Camelot who had been raised to believe that magic was evil. The King had not been moved by their complaints, and had made another law criminalising hate crimes against those found to possess magic after a young boy who had been making lights dance for his friends had been found lynched. The culprits had been found and executed for their crime, but even this act was not enough to convince many magic practitioners that the King had changed his ways. Some in Balinor’s village still thought that it was all an elaborate ruse so that those with magic would reveal themselves, leading to a more effective purge.

Balinor and Hunith ignored their warnings, and as time passed they were not the only ones who believed Arthur’s sincerity. They had both acquired some new clothing specifically for the ceremony, Hunith had been in awe of the magic-crafted dress she had been given by some of the more trusting druids, the fabric seemed to ripple and move like the surface of a lake. She had never worn something so fine, and he was pleased that something so minor could bring such a big smile to her face.

Soon enough, the time came for them to set off and head to Camelot. For the majority of the journey they were accompanied by a small group of druids that were interested in seeing the great city, but the closer they got to Camelot the fewer of them remained. When they reached the city gates, there was only a few left. The guards eyed Balinor warily as he approached, and he mustered every bit of courtly nicety he knew from his early days as a Dragonlord.

“We have been invited by the King, let us pass.”

“Do you have an invitation?” One of the guards asked, and Hunith handed the formal invite to him. Glancing it over, the guard nodded in approval. “Open the gates.” He called to those in charge of handling the gate. As the door opened and the city was revealed, the druids behind him gasped and whispered among themselves. They were the young ones that had been born after Uther had declared war on magic.

They were given an escort to the castle, and as they travelled through the city he noticed that many of the people looked on them guardedly, unsure what to make of the small group. There was some consolation that none of them looked particularly angered by their presence. He smiled indulgently as he answered one of the questions one of the druids had about the city, and he was pleased to see that the question triggered a friendly conversation between the druid and one of the younger guards. This is what Camelot needed, for friendships to develop between the ones that were feared and the ones that used to feel fear. As had been demonstrated by the relationship between Arthur and Merlin, you could not hate all magic if you were close to one or more people that were able to wield it.

Once they reached the castle they were directed to the throne room. Inside the room, Balinor grinned as he recognised many of the people he had visited to invite them to the event. Somewhat amusingly they were all on one side of the room, and on the other side he recognised several non-magical members of the nobility. Arthur and Merlin were both currently absent, no doubt preparing for the upcoming ceremony. He greeted the members of the magic community, noticing that some of them were still tense and looked around anxiously at every sudden movement and sound. Then he squared his shoulders, and determined marched to the other side of the room.

“Lord Albert.” He greeted brightly a man he recognised. “It is good to see you again. How is your wife?”

“Good God, Lord Balinor is that you?” At the affirmative nod, Lord Albert’s face broke into a wide smile. “It is good to see you as well, Eleanor is well.” He looked inquisitively at Hunith who stood loyally by his side.

“This is Hunith, she is to be my wife.”

“A please to meet you, my lady.” In the corner of his eye, Balinor could see that some of the others were now approaching cautiously.

“I don’t believe you have met Alden, Alden this is Lord Albert.” He took the opportunity to introduce one of the druid chiefs that had been nearest.

With the ice broken, short hesitant conversations began between those with magic and those without it. The discussions gradually grew more confident as the two sides realised they were not about to try to kill each other, although he noticed that some lords still stood defiantly at the side, refusing to even engage with the newcomers. They must have been men loyal to Uther’s regime.

Sometime later, the guards by the door suddenly announced the arrival of his majesty, the King of Camelot. As Arthur walked in, they all bowed deeply. Stealing a glance upwards, Balinor did not see his son. For whatever reason, Merlin had not accompanied Arthur into the room.

“Friends, I am glad to see you are all getting along.” Arthur said loudly, pointedly staring at those that had been clearly standing away from the large mixed group. He was gratified to see them shift uncomfortably under the King’s harsh glare.

“I know we’ve had our differences,” the King continued, “deep divisions that have seen much hatred and bloodshed on both sides. But today is a time for us to move on together, for us to unite as one people. As such I have decided that we need to reintegrate members of the magical community back into our society, beginning with reinstating the positions and lands that were taken away as a result of the purge where possible.”

Balinor’s land and titles were the first to be restored to him, and there were a few other of his companions that received what was rightfully theirs. Some of them were sons whose fathers had possessed the titles but been executed during the purge, the land and money would not bring back their parents but it went some way to mend what had been so badly broken. At one of the druid’s enquiries, the King was quick to reassure them that anyone else who came forward to reclaim their lands would equally be compensated. It appeared that there was a slight surplus of land available to be given, and it would be later that Balinor would learn that several lords had been banished for attempting to incite a revolution against Arthur for legalising magic. Their lands had been taken as property of the crown, to be distributed again as the King saw fit.

“Finally,” the King began again, “it seems fitting that a position that has been vacant since my father began his war should be filled again. As of today I reinstate the position of Court Sorcerer to my council-” Before he could continue the King was interrupted by a mass of hushed whispering among those gathered before him. Balinor and Hunith kept silent, almost afraid that their hastily-made assumption would not be true.

“Silence!” Arthur commanded, and the whispers slowly died back down. “I know many of you must be thinking of various people you believe to be suitable for the position, but I have already found a man I find to be the best possible candidate. This man was the one to prove to me that magic can be a force for good. He has saved my life countless times, and I am certain that if he had not decided to defy the law that Camelot would be lost ten times over. His name is Merlin!”

At that moment the doors were opened again and the man himself walked through, looking more than a little confused.

“The new Court Sorcerer, Merlin!” If anything Merlin looked even more confused as there was a polite round of applause, Balinor and Hunith were obviously those most enthusiastic about the news. Much to Balinor’s surprise, he noticed that some of the druids were in a state of shock and had not applauded at all, he felt a pang of annoyance at them.

“What?” Merlin asked in bewilderment, Balinor could only guess that Arthur had wanted Merlin’s sudden elevation to come as a surprise.

“You’re the new court sorcerer, Merlin.” Arthur explained slowly, clapping his former manservant on the shoulder.

“Oh. Ok then.”

“Emrys!?” One of the druids appeared to have finally found his voice, this word seemed to confirm the rest of their suspicions and in a united movement all the druids bowed deeply to Merlin. The non-magical community and Arthur looked bewildered by this sudden turn of events, Balinor himself was also stunned even as Hunith pulled on his sleeve.

“What does that mean?” She whispered urgently. Before he could answer her, he watched as Arthur looked incredulously from Merlin to the bowed druids and back.

“Is there something you’ve forgotten to tell me? … again?” Merlin winced.

“I may have forgotten to tell you I am Emrys.” He admitted, looking uncomfortably at the druids. “Could you all please get up? I’m really not that important.” After a few more moments the druids rose, and continued to look at him whilst whispering among themselves.

“What is ‘Emrys’ supposed to mean?” Arthur demanded.

“Emrys is prophesised to be the most powerful warlock ever to live.” Balinor answered him, awe tinging his voice. “He is to be the one to help the Once and Future King to bring about Albion.” Arthur looked back at Merlin, expression screaming incredulity.

“You’re the most powerful warlock to ever live?” He asked loudly, Merlin winced again.

“Yes…”

“And you didn’t think to mention this?” Merlin gave a half-hearted shrug at the question.

“I didn’t think it was that important….” Arthur looked back at the druids still looking at Merlin reverently and lost his temper.

“MERLIN!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy f*ck a duck, I actually got this finished. Woooooow. Thanks again to everyone who has supported this story even though I am totally useless. I’m glad to finally get it finished, and I hope this second bonus chapter is not a disappointment (even though it is years late). That is it for this story.


End file.
